The High Court is set to deliver its sentence Thursday in the murder case of Saleim Harrigan, the man convicted of abducting and killing customs officer Nigel Christian. According to Antigua News Room, the court will determine whether Harrigan spends the rest of his life behind bars or receives a fixed-term prison sentence.
The sentencing hearing concluded Wednesday after attorneys for both sides presented their final submissions to the presiding judge.
Director of Public Prosecutions Clement Joseph urged the court to impose the maximum sentence available. He argued that the gravity of the crime justifies either life imprisonment for the remainder of Harrigan's natural life or, alternatively, a determinate sentence of 50 years.
Defense attorney Wendel Alexander called on the court to show leniency, relying largely on the findings of a probation report to support a reduced sentence.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the presiding judge adjourned the matter until 12 p.m. on Thursday, June 25, when the sentence is expected to be handed down.
The ruling will determine whether Harrigan serves a whole-life term or a fixed prison sentence for one of Antigua and Barbuda's most high-profile murder cases in recent years.
